The 10 Biggest Mario Kart RIP OFFS

10 Biggest Mario Kart RIP-OFFS

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 of the biggest, most blatant, and shameless “Mario Kart” rip-offs!

“Konami Krazy Racers” (2001)

There is no denying that “Konami Krazy Racers” is a solid kart racer. The controls are responsive, the sprite animations are clean, and the music rocks. However, those are the only good things we can say about the game. For the most part, it’s no different than “Mario Kart: Super Circuit,” let alone “Mario Kart” as a whole. Items function the same way as “Mario Kart’s” bananas, shells, and the like, while the drifting mechanics feel no different than Nintendo’s own flagship franchise. Overall, the game isn’t awful, but it’s also far from remarkable unless you’re a die-hard Konami fan.

“Garfield Kart” (2013)

Microids is one of those publishers that is more miss than hit with the kids' games they put out. If you like their products, more power to you, but we all have to admit the lack of originality in “Garfield Kart.” This game has absolutely nothing to distinguish itself outside of your typical Garfield-isms. The power–ups function the same, the track design is unbearably vanilla in structure and gimmicks, and the customization lacks any personality or meaningful differences. In other words, this is what happens when you develop a game on Mondays and only Mondays.

“Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour” (2000)

Like “Konami Krazy Racers,” some of us may have fond memories of this game. Admittedly, there is some appeal here. “Magical Racing Tour” gave us the chance to race through courses inspired by Disney World attractions like The Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, and Blizzard Beach. In visuals and personality, it does stand on its own. So, what makes it a “Mario Kart” rip-off? Well, once again, there’s not much in the items that you haven’t already seen before. What’s worse is that the rubberbanding is just as horrible as “Mario Kart 64,” sometimes more egregiously so, as CPU opponents will get ahead of you because the game felt like it. You know, the usual “how dare the player get good at the game” rigamarole.

“Woody Woodpecker Racing” (2000)

Konami makes another appearance on this list, but we’re willing to give them a little more credit with this one. “Woody Woodpecker Racing” does have some unique mechanics to differentiate itself by giving players the ability to attack racers who dare invade their personal space. Also, the music is probably the best part of this game. Just listen to Death Valley’s funky rhythm. But when playing “Woody Woodpecker Racing,” it ultimately feels so lifeless in animation and drifting for a game that is so bouncy in sound and track design. It lacks so much personality that it comes off like a recycled prototype for “Mario Kart.” Perhaps Woody would have been more suited for a “Twisted Metal” rip-off with all of his typical cartoon violence.

“Touring Karts” (2019)

The only way to accurately describe “Touring Karts” is that this is essentially a VR rendition of “Mario Kart.” That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though! There is some fun in being able to drift on your own, throw bananas around the way you want to, and… use a rocket launcher instead of turtle shells. But ultimately, by the time you race your third or maybe your fourth Grand Prix, you’ll realize you’ve pretty much played this game before minus the immersion. It’s a fun VR game! We just wish there was something else that allowed “Touring Karts” to break away from its obvious inspirations from “Mario Kart.”

“Race with Ryan” (2019)

Speaking of familiar settings, “Race with Ryan” tries so hard to set itself apart with its track design and character roster. Unfortunately, the fatigue sets in as soon as you enter your second race. The power-ups all feel like reskins of bananas and turtle shells, while none of the courses feature anything remotely exciting enough to justify Ryan’s excitement. It’s a game that recognizes how much fun “Mario Kart” is to play, yet absorbed nothing as to what it is about “Mario Kart” that makes it fun. Tiny ramps in random spots and firing hamburgers at your rivals is not what makes a kart racer fun, and the lack of effort here puts an even bigger stink on games starring YouTubers.

“Myth Makers: Super Kart GP” (2006)

Remember the good ol’ days of “Ninjabread Man,” “Anubis II,” and “Trixie in Toyland?” Well, neither do we, but if you’re familiar with any of those games, you’ll know of the infamous developer known as Data Design Interactive. These guys were notorious for copy-pasting assets into every single game they put out, and “Myth Makers: Super Kart GP” was no different. Think if “Mario Kart” was stripped down to its barest bones possible and reused assets from the aforementioned games with little to no changes whatsoever. What you get is a game that could have very well been made in less than a week, and was given no thought into making the game enjoyable.

“Wacky Wheels” (1994)

Before other video game companies started taking their IP and plugging the “Mario Kart” formula into them, developer Beavis Soft created “Wacky Wheels,” and it was about as literal a rip-off as you can get. From the textures to the character sprites to even how the game plays in general, everything about “Wacky Wheels” felt like it was a straight facelift of “Super Mario Kart.” Even the battle mode was a straight rip-off of “Super Mario Kart’s” famed balloon battle. To be fair, it was still a fun game, but for us SNES players, the resemblance was way too uncanny to give it a try.

“Hello Kitty Kruisers” (2014)

Lifeless. That is the only way to describe “Hello Kitty Kruisers.” Don’t get us wrong - Hello Kitty is awesome! But she deserved a game way, way better than this. Despite the sizable roster of characters and various karts for you to choose from, “Hello Kitty Kruisers” tries so hard to be as expansive as “Mario Kart.” Unfortunately, the animations are minimal, the music is repetitive to an annoying degree, and the courses are so basic in their layout. Even though drifting is a mechanic, it does nothing to actually give you the upper hand. It’s totally useless. Somehow, this is far from the worst example of a kart racer trying way too hard to ride on “Mario Kart’s” coattails.

“Renzo Racer” (2017)

There is just no excuse for “Renzo Racer.” You want to have a basic arsenal of power-ups that mimic “Mario Kart?” Fine, we get that bananas and shells are kind of the foundation for the franchise. You want to make drifting a key mechanic just like “Mario Kart” does? Be our guest! It’s basic racing game fundamentals! But the least you can do as a “Mario Kart” rip-off is incorporate at least one unique thing outside of character selection, tiny ramps, and doing tricks. Sure, “Renzo Racer” does implement water-based courses, but there are no physics to toy around with. You may as well be racing on the regular roads. Do yourself a favor and don’t even give this game the time of day. There are better rip-offs that actually have interesting ideas.

What’s the most shameless “Mario Kart” knockoff you’ve come across? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos every day!